


The Sun Also Rises

by Sanjuno



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Gen, He DID NOT like how that turned out, Is it better to be loved or feared?, Lelouch has tried Fear, Lelouch will show them, SHOW THEM ALL, This time Lelouch will be Loved, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2018-12-09 19:24:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11675505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanjuno/pseuds/Sanjuno
Summary: The night is darkest just before dawn, but dawn will come regardless.Driven by his love for his sister, Lelouch Lamperouge vi Brittania became the Demon Emperor, feared and hated the world over. Very few people knew that the assassination of the ninety-ninth Emperor was actually an honour suicide, assisted by a dear friend and retainer in a long-held Japanese tradition. Zero Requiem went... perfectly to plan. Lelouch died, and took much of the world's hatred with him.The Collective Consciousness of Man is notpeople, and they will not let their Champion remain lost to them.Lelouch wakes to life after his death by the blessing of the World of C... and the possibilities available to him areendless.





	1. The King is Dead. Long Live the King.

**Author's Note:**

> Lelouch is a _very difficult_ character to get right, because he's a scheming Machiavellian genius with a psychological awareness of people that borders on omnipotent and I just gave him direct access to the Overmind of Humanity and hacked his Geass to make it more Blessing than Curse. So...
> 
> ... Why is it that a happy, emotionally stable Lelouch is so much harder to keep in character than a traumatized, homicidal Lelouch?

=/=

**(Lelouch’s brain scares me. This man is somehow capable of thinking an entire monologue to himself in the classic Shakespearian tradition _with a sword blade in his heart_.)**

Lelouch was well aware that if he was not yet already dead then he was within a faltering heartbeat of his life ending. His final breath was rattling in his throat. Nunally was crying and somehow, _somehow_ , Lelouch could tell that the others were mourning him too. CC and Kallen, Suzaku and Jeremiah, the Black Knights and the Knights of the Round. Even Cornelia and Shneizel were weeping over his death in their own strange ways, for all that they loathed him too. Lelouch... had not expected to be missed. Not like this. Not by so many. He had gone to out of his way to earn their hate, so why did they cry now?

Had Zero Requiem failed?

No. _No,_ it could not. Not after Lelouch had sacrificed _so much_ for Nunally's gentler world. (A world with no place for Lelouch. A world Nunally had rejected Lelouch dwelling in.)

The Collective Human Consciousness watched as it's Champion, the one who had preserved the entity called by some as 'God's existence, bled out. The bright mind that had waged war on a global concept of bigotry and oppression dimmed. The voice that had rallied and inspired nations was silenced as breath stilled. The spark in sharp royal purple eyes stuttered... and went out.

Lelouch Lamperouge vi Britannia, ninety-ninth Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire smiled at his sister. As Nunally screamed for her brother to wake up, that she forgave him, so please, _please_ , just keep breathing! As the soon-to-be Empress wept bitter tears the world as they knew it... was destroyed. In that selfsame moment that Lelouch hovered between life and death the fractured pieces of reality shifted, tilted out of their old alignment... and reassembled into a whole new point of view.

The old world was discarded, and was recreated anew.

/.../

 _"Big brother, wake up! Please, big brother, I love you!"_ Resigned eyes, filled with tears.

 _"He must not die!_ " Long hair spilled carelessly across bloody concrete.

 _"I won't let you touch my lord!_ " Broad shoulders blocking the line of sight between assailant and target.

 _"I refuse that order! I'm not going to let you hurt him!"_ Stubborn determination in the stiff line of the spine and the firm set of the jaw.

 _"No one hurts my precious big brother!_ " Eyes a shade off but still eerily familiar narrowed in a glare as fine features twisted in a savage snarl.

 _"You've become Japan's hope_." An all too rare smile gleaming under the bright hanger lights.

/.../

Lelouch Lamperouge vi Britannia woke up choking on blood that did not fill his lungs, clutching at a wound that did not rip through the center of his heart. He thrashed his way free of the smothering blankets, overstuffed pillows spilling from the bed and softening his fall to a floor that was much too far away to be safe.

' _What happened? Did Suzaku fail? No, impossible, but if Nunally or one of the others interfered...'_ Delirious with remembered pain Lelouch grabbed the bedpost, determined to get back on his feet and somehow salvage the plan he had bet _everything_ on. Lelouch paused, staring at his hand where it was clenched in the heavily brocaded coverlet. Thin pale fingers crumpled the vi Britannia crest, picked out in gold thread on violet velvet. ' _That's... not possible. I have to be hallucinating...'_

Lelouch ignored his phantom pains and stood ( _the pain was just an illusion to be ignored_ ) staggering over to where he knew ( _remembered_ ) a mirror to be. Wide imperial purple eyes ( _the proportions were all wrong for what his mind said should be there_ ) set in a pale face, fine boned features pinched in pain, skin almost bloodless from system shock ( _if what this appeared to be was truly happening why was he still hurt? Death was the end of pain, so if pain still existed as a physical sensation, then that must mean..._ )

Trembling fingers unhooked the mother-of-pearl buttons on the soft, satin-blend pajamas. The red mark where Zero's blade had pierced through the ninety-ninth Emperor of Britannia was livid against the thin skin stretched over Lelouch's ribs. HIs breathing began to speed up in the beginning of a panic attack, and Lelouch forced himself to steady his respiration. ( _There was no time to panic. He needed to plan. There was no time to waste._ ) Touching the stigmata proved only that the scar was just that. A simple scar. Ugly and red, twisting the skin in a way that made the healed flesh feel utterly alien under probing fingers. It looked just like what it had been, a death blow centered over his heart. Etched indelibly into his flesh, the icon of the Black Knights. (At least it was not the true Geass Crest, explaining away _that_ would be beyond even Lelouch's ability to spin.) Lelouch breathed deeply and looked up into the eyes of the child in his reflection, speaking the truth aloud. "I died."

Yes, Lelouch Lamperouge vi Britannia had died... _then_. At this point in time, however... he was alive. _Now_ , however, there was no _need_ for him to die as he had in that possible future. The gleeful whisper continued, burbling happily about _possibility_ , about _potential_ , about unlimited _choice_.

Lelouch's eyes narrowed, and the look on his face was all the more disturbing for the youth of his features.

"You... saved me. Not my body, but you preserved my mind. The collection of experiences and memories that define the existence of the me that I am now.” Lelouch murmured to the listening void. The collective human consciousness. The faceless and multi-faced. The voiceless celestial chorus. That higher power sent a wave of gleeful, triumphant agreement. Lelouch frowned, touching the stigmata that was all that remained of his death wound once again. “Why? Why do that? What made me… worthy?”

Why not? It was the choice that had been made. For all Lelouch Lamperouge vii Britannia had the Geass of Absolute Obedience, he had never used it to change the way people thought. He allowed them their own beliefs even as he stripped them of their agency. How easy it would have been to Geass away all those tiny doubts harboured in the heart of every Black Knight. How easily obtained would Suzaku’s unwavering loyalty and support have been? Yet Lelouch had left every last one of them with the ability, the choice, to decide to follow him… or to betray him. Often to his own painful detriment. Lelouch may have forced action, might have stolen memories… but hearts and minds had been left alone. Lelouch’s victims had been robbed of agency, but only briefly, and _never_ of their free will. Every single person swayed to Lelouch’s side had come of their own volition, no matter for how brief that time was. Lelouch had saved them. Saved their ability to make their own choices and live and laugh and cry. For everyone who had been, was, and would be. Allowing Lelouch to die after such a service to the World of C was… wasteful. Would it not be more entertaining to try again? Perhaps a new choice would create a new world. It was better this way.

“A new world…” Lelouch mused as the World of C hummed in his head like a half-forgotten song. A word you knew the meaning of, but could not remember how to pronounce. The Geass sigils flickered over violet eyes, the Power of the King held under perfect, pin-point control. Lelouch smirked as They Who Were Called God cackled in the background of his mind. “All the world’s a stage, hm? Well then… let’s see what role I shall play in this act.”

/…/

**(Lelouch spent much of the time leading up to Zero Requiem in contemplation of his life choices and brutally honest personal reflection. This has the admittedly terrifying result of creating a Lelouch who knows _himself_ well enough to avoid triggering another breakdown. The World trembles with fear and… anticipation.)**

Over the course of changing into his day clothes and taking his breakfast, Lelouch Lamperouge vii Britannia crafted the framework of a plan. It was nothing dramatic. Nowhere near his previous levels of duplicity. Nothing at all like the Zero-levels of masterwork plotting that would have to wait at least until after Lelouch’s voice broke… again. This far back in his personal timeline, however, simple was best. A butterfly flaps it’s wings to birth a hurricane across the world.

The first thing Lelouch did after ordering his thoughts was track down where he had hidden his day-planner. Even as a child in truth Lelouch had been meticulous about planning his actions out. The moleskin book would give Lelouch the means to avoid any missteps in his personal and professional lives. Violet eyes narrowed at the date written on the newspaper laid next to his plate. So, he had a little more than a week until his mother’s ‘assassination’ would take place. Good. The plan could have been adapted to any timeline from a year to a day, but a week was as close to perfect as Lelouch could ask for. Long enough not to require extreme action on Lelouch’s end of things. Short enough that Lelouch would not grow bored and stressed enough to try to make his own entertainment in the intermittent time. Any odd behaviour on Lelouch’s part would be forgotten in the wake of Marianne’s death, which would also give him the perfect excuse should anyone notice the alteration and new maturity of his personality.

Pleased, Lelouch shut his planner with a snap and stood from his chair. Violet eyes gleamed red over a demonic smile. “Now then, my loyal Jeremiah Gottwald, wherever are you hiding?”

/…/

Jeremiah Gottwald was a literal thinker. In a strange way, this meant that the Margrave was all but immune to taking damage from Lelouch’s plots. When it came to his lord, nothing was unforgivable. Nothing was impossible. Nothing was beyond reason. That level of platonic affection and unerring devotion was rare, and Lelouch felt no shame in prioritizing the act of gaining Jeremiah’s loyalty for himself once again over all other considerations. In fact, a great deal of Lelouch’s plans for the next week hinged on the actions of Jeremiah Gottwald.

Lelouch had always been possessive, but the thought of _someone else_ commanding _Lelouch’s Knight_ made the de-aged prince want to _stab someone in the face_.

So. The thing to do would be to speak plainly, and honestly…

/…/

“… I know you think I’m just a child playing games. I know you think I don’t really understand the depth and strength of those vows I would ask of you. But…” The young prince looked up at the speechless Guardsman, violet eyes steady and solemn and far wiser than they had any right to be. “But when I’m older and stronger… will you promise to take me seriously then? When I’m grown up, and a real Prince… will you be my Knight of Honour then, Jeremiah?”

Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald knelt, still unable to find his voice, and took his prince’s small, pale hands in his own. The reverent kiss pressed to his ring finger made Lelouch vii Britannia gasp. The teenage noble manage to find the words he needed in that moment, and gave them readily to his prince. “Ask now, or ask ten years from now, my lord, and my answer shall ever be the same. I can think of no greater honour than to be your Knight.”

Lelouch’s smile bloomed like the sunrise in fast forward, warming Jeremiah all the way through. What had he done to deserve this sort of regard from the Prince?

“ _My_ Knight.” Small arms wrapped around Jeremiah’s neck with proprietary affection. “… Hm. Give me a few days to figure out how to convince Mother, Jeremiah, and then we can tell the world.”

“Of course, _my_ Prince.” Jeremiah saw the pleased spark in violet eyes when the knight returned possessiveness like for like, and pleased coil of joy curled up beneath his breastbone.

Jeremiah’s Prince, and Lelouch’s Knight. Yes, that sounded _exactly_ right.

=/=

**(Game. Set. Match. Marianne the Flash proved herself his enemy once before and so Lelouch… has no responsibility to save her. His sister, his men… they are a different story.)**

This was it. Lelouch’s pulse beat in his ears like war drums. This was _it_. This was the moment of truth. The moment that changed everything from here on forward. This was when Lelouch proved to himself that his memories were more than just nightmarish hallucinations. This was where and when Lelouch changed something fundamental about the world. This was where Lelouch changed the future to come.

All the conditions had been met. With this act, the first obstacle would be cleared. Now… game start.

/…/

Sir Jeremiah Gottwald’s life had changed a great deal over the course of the last few days. The young knight had thought himself just one of many noble born guards stationed at the Aeries Villa, loyally protecting the Empress Marianne and her children…

Prince Lelouch’s request had knocked Jeremiah for six. Only ten but by and away far more intelligent and mature than men more than twice his age. Prince Lelouch had taken note of Jeremiah, had noticed him as more than just another interchangeable security guard, and had seen something in Jeremiah that was worthy of the young royal Prince’s attention. Something worthy of Prince Lelouch’s deepest trust.

_Will you be my Knight of Honour, Jeremiah Gottwald?_

Would he? May as well ask if the sun would rise!

Jeremiah's lord Prince… it was humbling that Lelouch had even mentioned waiting until he was older to ask in earnest. That Lelouch had thought he needed to warn Jeremiah of his intentions, as if his Prince’s regard was something unwanted!

Jeremiah knew exactly who to blame for Lelouch’s low opinion of himself. The Court, and the Emperor’s other wives, and their petty, vicious, back-biting commentary about how Marianne the Flash had managed to rise through the ranks to a position in the Knights of the Round. Calling little Nunally the Paper bag Princess. Calling Lelouch the Pauper Prince! Too many forgot that noble blood meant little and nothing without noble conduct. To slander the Empress for her lack of lineage, when they themselves had done nothing more noteworthy than to be born to the right family name!

… It was obvious that Jeremiah was going to need to work on controlling his temper if he was to accompany his Prince and not be arrested for assault.

/…/

“… Are you sure about this, my lady?” Cornellia hesitated before leaving, giving her personal hero and technical step-mother a pleading look. “Please, Lady Marianne, reconsider this! To leave yourself completely unprotected… at least allow me to stay!”

“Don’t worry so much, Cornellia!” Marianne laughed and shooed the teenage girl who was both the daughter of her husband and head of her guard out of the room. “I can take care of myself, after all! Now, you have your orders. Go and enjoy your night off!”

“… As you command, my lady.” Cornellia bowed, obviously upset, and stomped away. It would seem to be a night that begged extra time for firearms practice. Cornellia would go deal with that right away.

/…/

Jeremiah Gottwald was uneasy. The order to leave Aeries Villa… it stank of something sinister. Orders were, however, orders. Especially the orders given by an Empress. So Jeremiah would follow those orders, as was his duty to crown and country.

First, however, Jeremiah was going to see to his Prince. Lelouch had taken to requesting Jeremiah’s presence when the Knight was on duty in the handful of days since his astonishing request, and so would be expecting Jeremiah’s arrival shortly. His Prince would worry unnecessarily if Jeremiah was not there when he was expected to be.

/…/

Hot. Dizzy. Lelouch stumbled into a wall. When he had come up with this part of the plan he had not fully considered how _horrible_ the act of being ill would make him feel. By all the little voices in his head, if this plan failed after Lelouch put himself through this sort of agony then Lelouch would do something _drastically unwise_.

He might even get _impulsive_.

The result would not be pretty. Or morally decent. Or available to viewers under eighteen.

The Geass of Absolute Obedience. Really, in retrospect Lelouch had been rather unimaginative when it came to utilizing his power during his first round of life. It helped that the Collective Consciousness had decided to tweak things a bit, but still. Criminally lacklustre effort on Lelouch’s part.

Amazing what a second chance and a great deal of introspective hindsight could do for a man’s mental health.

Ordering himself to have complete control of his body, mind, and consciousness was dangerously effective. Despite all the symptoms being the resulting placebo effects of a Geass induced mastery of biofeedback, Lelouch both looked and felt horribly ill. Jeremiah was going to fold like wet tissue paper. Lelouch _almost_ felt sorry about this part, but… well. It was for Nunally. Jeremiah would understand and was probably going to thank him once this whole farce was over with.

Now, where was his Knight? The order to withdraw the guards should have been given by now, and considering Jeremiah’s mindset the Knight would _not_ leave without seeing first to his liege. So Jeremiah should be on his way to…

“My Prince!” Ah, there he was. Lelouch loved it when a plan came together.

/…/

“Jeremiah…” The prince looked horrible, violet eyes glazed and pale skin burning red with fever. “I don’t… feel well.”

Jeremiah caught the young prince as he stumbled and would have fallen, the Knight’s unease transforming into stark terror as the full weight of the situation hit. If something happened while the guards were gone… the prince could hardly walk!

“My lord, I… Empress Marianne has dismissed all the guards.” Jeremiah swallowed back his trepidation. “I will take you to your rooms, my lord, but then your royal mother has ordered me to leave.”

“No. You’re… you’re supposed to be _my_ Knight, not Mother’s!” Lelouch pressed his burning face to the cool skin of Jeremiah’s throat. “You have to… have to _stay_. Mother’s busy tonight, and Nunally’s too… too little. Everyone else is gone. You… you have to stay. Please, Jeremiah? Don’t leave me alone!”

“I won’t, my prince. Rest easy.” Choice easily made, Jeremiah lifted his prince into his arms and headed for the wing that housed the young Prince and even younger Princess’ personal rooms. “Are even the maids gone? Brilliant. Why in heaven’s name… ah, don’t fret, my prince. I know well enough how to care for fevers.”

/…/

Nunally had come running the moment she heard Jeremiah’s stream of reassurances. Instantly her plans to run amok in the near-empty villa were derailed by the need to care for her poor big brother.

The cool dampness of the folded face cloth was a blessing. Lelouch was starting to think that he had taken his act just a little too far.

Only, maybe not, because Jeremiah had taken up a post by the foot of Lelouch’s bed, but the young man bringing Nunally a new bowl of ice water was… not Jeremiah, obviously. Really now, this fever plan had been a _stupid_ idea. Lelouch simply could _not_ concentrate while his brain was boiling in his skull.

“Thank you, Marius!” Nunally chirped, polite despite her worry for her brother. “It was kind of you to come in and keep us company on your night off.”

“Well, someone had to pick up the medicine for the Prince.” Marius looked up at the ceiling innocently, like a little boy caught with cookie in hand. _Bless_ , Cornellia’s wont for filling any open slots on the roster with people younger than her. Younger Knights made this adjustment to Lelouch’s plan for tonight much less creepy. Oddly enough, Jeremiah might just be the oldest Knight present. Which made sense, guards who had been at the job longer were more likely to take orders at face value. Marius’ had _dimples_ , it made him look even younger. “Might as well be me since you so kindly invited me to your sleepover, Princess.”

Lelouch’s sister was the best sister. When confronted with a sick brother and no guards, what did she do? She invited a baker’s dozen of her favourites to the villa for a sleepover. About twice again that number had actually shown up, thanks to the youthful tendency to travel in packs, and they had stationed themselves liberally throughout Lelouch and Nunally’s apartments. Giving credit where it was due, none of them had shown up in uniform, and Lelouch _really_ wished he had a camera. They were all making a token effort to at least _appear_ to be indulging the young Princess’ desire for a pyjama party. The body armour worn under their nearly identical flannels was subtle, and Aeris Villa’s new uniform code was distracting enough that most would overlook it. There were pillows _everywhere_ , walking would be a hazard for anyone expecting Lelouch’s usual immaculate floor.

Lelouch had based his plans around keeping Jeremiah close by and distracting Nunally from her wandering. Well, he had succeeded beyond his wildest imaginings. Nunally was more than safe, since with the perimeter compromised the guards were being rather strict about keeping Nunally in sight. Of course, as long as Lelouch was sick Nunally was going exactly _nowhere_.

Everything Lelouch remembered about this night had been gloriously derailed. Lelouch was almost looking forward to the first shot. Perhaps it was madness, but Lelouch had seen what loyal men could accomplish when given a cause and a goal. Just witness these Knights disobeying their Empress to keep Nunally safe. The assassination of Marianne would bind them tighter, and probably set the lot of them charging after the Geass Order’s heads.

Lelouch hoped his parents choked on the irony they would be forced to swallow. Outplayed by a little girl wanting to nurse her ailing brother back to health! Oh, it was magnificent!

Lelouch’s sister really was the very best sister.

=/=


	2. There Is No Greater Love Than Loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of Marianne's assassination, Lelouch is kept busy setting out the first of his moves for the long game he will be playing against the oppression of the Brittannian Empire's toxic philosophies and the Geass Order's mad plan to stop time. He might only have two pieces, but Lelouch is clever enough to make those pieces _count_ in ways his opponents will never suspect until it's too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lelouch is an asshole. A shameless, cheating asshole who has zero compunctions about doing someone dirty if it means that he gets what he wants. I knew this going in. I did _not_ know the full depth of Lelouch's moral scarcity until I finished this chapter.
> 
> Lelouch is an _asshole_.
> 
> (I love him so much. ♥)

=/=

**(Different means to produce the same result. The outline remains the same, but the _details_ are going to be vastly different. In time those changes are going to be far more obvious.)**

Lelouch needed to orchestrate a way for he and Nunnally to be sent to Japan. Staging another scene in the throne room only had a fifty percent chance of success. Unlike last time, Nunnally was whole and hale, her body unbroken and her vision unobstructed. Unlike last time, the Emperor would not be looking for any excuse to get rid of the crippled weakling. This time, Nunnally was as she should have always been. Nunnally was as much Marianne’s daughter as Lelouch was Charles’ son… and Lelouch knew exactly how to best make use of that.

There was a chance, much like Lelouch had in his last life, that Nunnally would set out down the path of vengeance. Only a small chance, however, and Lelouch had contingency plans in place to redirect Nunnally’s energy if the desire for revenge began to poison his sweet sister. Marianne was dead, yes, but Nunnally and Lelouch were both unharmed from that night. Unlike what Lelouch had forced to suffer, Nunnally would never need to live each day with a permanent reminder of horrible failure and weakness. Nunnally had always been more forgiving and better able to adapt to changes than Lelouch was. Nunnally had always been stronger than Lelouch, surviving pain that would have destroyed her brother’s mind.

Should Nunnally actually take premeditated action against their enemies, Lelouch had several proactive ideas that would both appeal to Nunnally’s innate sense of justice and cause problems for Britannia. Lelouch had indulged his honed sense of irony while crafting his plans for the future. Not that anyone other than Lelouch and the Collective Consciousness would be able to properly appreciate the joke, but oh well. With the plan that had prevented Nunnally’s involvement in Marianne’s assassination as the key witness, Lelouch had changed the game in its entirely. The future that Lelouch remembered _could no longer happen_. Not with Nunnally in complete control of her own life. Not with Jeremiah and the rest of the Aries Guard binding themselves to Nunnally and Lelouch’s service in knightly love and loyal devotion.

The people Lelouch had known… there was only so much his meddling could affect them at this early point in the game. Most people would for the greater part remain the same. It was the events yet to come where the greatest changes would be displayed. Nunnally’s impact on their time as political hostages in Japan would be one scatter point. Jeremiah’s actions among the Britannian military knowing that Lelouch was in need of his Knight would be another. Would Suzaku soften to the vi Britannia siblings without Nunnally as a source of pity? Would the Purist Faction gain power again with Jeremiah’s determination pushing him down a different path? There was no way to _know_. The future was a mystery.

As soon as he awoke after his death, once again a child in Aeris Villa, Lelouch had known that the potential future would change. The eleventh Prince was honest with himself, a skill C.C. had honed and cultivated over the course of their association. Simply by knowing what _could be_ called for Lelouch to take action against it. The young royal was a meddler at heart. The depression Lelouch had suffered in his last life may have stifled the smaller impulses, but there was a damn good reason for why Millificent Ashford was Lelouch’s best friend. Stripped of their masks and affected mannerisms, Lelouch and Milly had similar core personalities. A flair for the theatrical, a wide streak of gleeful wickedness, a desire for authority and autonomy, and a large well of savage sadism that made enemies and allies alike wary of crossing them.

With that in mind, Lelouch had discarded any plan designed to keep the future events he remembered intact and instead focused on key people. Nunnally had kept his legs and her sight. Check. Jeremiah was sworn as Lelouch as-yet unofficial Knight of Honour, transferring the Margrave’s unshakable loyalty firmly to Lelouch alone. In addition, by having Jeremiah and the other off-duty guards with them on the night of the assassination Lelouch had softened to feeling of failure his Knight had suffered last time around. The anger and guilt that had propelled the Purist Faction into power was no longer and issue. Check.

The next part of the plan was two-fold. The first involved keeping the Ashford’s as the foremost producers of Knightmare frames. It would not do much to mitigate the loss of their standing in Pendragon society or Court, but it would allow them to keep their title and most of their fortunes. The semi-exile to Japan would still happen, but as much as it upset Milly’s mother to live in a freshly conquered Area Lelouch needed Ashford Academy to be established. The Ashford family’s move to Japan was an important factor in how the future would unfold.

With that in mind Lelouch had arranged to meet with Ruben Ashford while the so-called investigation into Marianne’s assassination was still on-going. Interestingly enough, without Nunnally was a potential ‘witness’ that Charles needed to deal with to hide V.V.’s existence, the investigation actually lived up to the description. How charming. Lelouch was honestly looking forward to seeing what the end result would be, since Charles had failed to call off the investigation the way he had the first time. It amused Lelouch that there was no _reason_ for him to storm Charles’ throne room to throw a tantrum and abdicate his position. Not that he had planned on doing so again, but it was interesting to see the cascade effect of his changes to the events in action on himself as well.

Marianne’s state funeral was scheduled to occur in four days, and Lelouch’s morbid sense of humour appreciated the timing. Charles had called off the investigation yesterday in the first timeline, and today would have been the day Lelouch challenged his father for the first time. This time, however, no one was paying any attention to the two children of Marianne the Flash, not with so much going on. Lelouch took advantage of the confusion to advance his plans.

Lelouch had made sure that Milly’s parents would be out for the day when arranging the visit. Their desperate attempts to salvage the Ashford family name would probably even succeed to an extent, this time. Especially since Lelouch was not going to irreparably doom them to exile by getting himself disinherited. Yet another consequence of the changes Lelouch was making! My, this was exciting. If nothing else this new lifetime was going to be endlessly entertaining.

So thus it was only the four of them who were seated at the tea table in the gazebo situated in the Ashford Mansion garden that afternoon. Lelouch sat across from Ruben while Nunnally and Milly made up the other two points of the square. Jeremiah and Marius stood guard at the gazebo doors, with a further eight Aries Guards spread out through the estate grounds in line of sight. For this conversation the Ashford’s maids had been dismissed after Ruben played up his position as a jovial grandfather. Lelouch easily served himself and waited for the others to do the same before they shifted the conversation to more serious matters.

“So, I assume we have things to discuss.” Ruben sat back with his teacup in hand. “How are you holding up, my boy? It’s hard to sort anything out with the way those vultures circle.”

“That’s what we’re here for.” Lelouch admitted candidly and tilted his head at the briefcase set against the wall. “There are files in there pertaining to Knightmare Frame development. Some, if not most of it is entirely theoretical, and likely impossible until technology development catches up to the calculations, but I’m certain you can at least make use of the concepts. Even if only in a vastly more limited form. As you can no doubt guess, I cannot tell you where the data came from. You do not, however, need to worry about intellectual property rights.”

“I see.” Ruben no doubt thought the files were Lelouch’s work, and would be in for a pleasant surprise once he got around to running the numbers. Lelouch was prideful enough that he would never claim the work of others as his own, but there was no guilt to be found in him over staling Lloyd and Rakshata’s future work out from under them. Unlike Lelouch, the two engineers were actually scientifically inclined geniuses and would probably enjoy being able to take Knightmare frame development a step further than they had in the last lifetime. Lelouch smirked as Ruben raised a greying brow. “You want the Ashford Foundation to continue.”

“Yes. With mother… gone. Things will get dangerous here fairly quickly. The Sakuradite discovered in Japan is going to change things. The reports from the scientific studies done on it are fascinating, and the potential… well. I hear Japan is a beautiful country. And now they have the largest known source of Sakuradite in the world.” Lelouch glanced at the girls and smiled faintly. “I may be able to arrange a trip away from the capitol for Nunnally and I after all this horrible business is squared away. Some new scenery would be good for our health.”

“… I see.” Ruben nodded and turned the conversation to safer topics. “I hope your schooling has not been unduly impacted? Education is important, my boy.”

“My studies proceed apace, Ruben. Nunnally’s as well.” Lelouch picked up a pastry and admired the glitter of decorating sugar before planting the seed of a thought in Ruben’s mind. “It helps that we’re not attending classes in an Academy and instead have private tutors.”

“Did I ever tell you I once wanted to start a school?” Ruben mused, smiling wistfully as Lelouch tilted his head. “Oh, not one of those prissy private blueblood places, but a real school where learning was fun. Where a commoner could make friends with nobility, and skills took precedence over birth. A true environment of meritocracy.”

“That sounds like a place I might even enjoy.” Lelouch mused, recalling Milly’s determination to make Ashford Academy a place of joy and laughter. Her outrageousness made even more sense when you realized that Milly was acting out to make her grandfather smile. “A pity such a place doesn’t exist. There are so many commoners that get overlooked. You don’t need to be born to nobility to earn a Knighthood, after all. How many strong, clever, loyal people slip to the wayside because there was no method of bringing them to the attention of the right people? Like my mother. Look at how high she rose! Without you, Ruben… well. Nunnally and I wouldn’t be here, for one.”

“Marianne was special, indeed.” Ruben murmured, mien thoughtful as he picked up a biscuit. “Hm.”

“It’s a big world, Ruben.” Lelouch smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m sure there are lots of special people in it that you just haven’t managed to meet yet.”

“Ah, yes.” A spark had appeared in Ruben’s eyes. “I’m certain you’re right about that, my young prince.”

Nunnally’s face was pale, and Milly’s mouth was pinched in dismay. Both girls were perceptive enough to head what Lelouch did not say. They needed to get out of Pendragon, all of them. Anyone capable of killing an Empress would not blink at killing lesser nobles. They needed a stronger power base too. Unlike many of their siblings, Lelouch and Nunnally had inherited nothing from their mother. No fortune, no titles. Any powerbase would need to be built up from scratch.

It was playing a long waiting game, but setting up an Academy that taught the Knightly virtues as well as the usual education principles would provide them with that strength. It would be a place where the vi Britannia’s would have the pick of the entire population of minor nobles and commoners. Where the Ashford Foundation could scoop up promising minds before their competitors were even aware of them…

Yes. It would not be the same place Lelouch remembered, but that might be for the best. Lelouch needed to hedge his bets at this point in the game.

/…/

The Prince and Princess left after dinner, leaving behind a grimly determined Milly and a thoughtfully plotting Ruben. The Earl of Ashford had taken a few hours to peruse the files Lelouch had handed over and had been left speechless at the innovation contained therein. There was a solid decade or more of progress packing into that briefcase and Ruben was tempted to pin Lelouch down until the boy coughed up the name of the engineer who had done the bulk of the work.

No. Given the unstable political climate, it was better to keep their sources quiet for now. After what had happened to Marianne, it would not surprise Ruben to learn that the mystery engineer was now dead as well. The Ashford Foundation was Marianne’s greatest supporter. Without the Knightmare Frame that had propelled her so quickly into the upper echelons of the military, Marianne never would have become Empress. It would make sense to take steps to crumble that support by sabotaging the Foundation’s ability to advance their Knightmare development. That they would target engineers… it would explain Lelouch’s reluctance to discuss the matter.

Ah well, no use in thinking about it. The prince had a plan, that much was obvious. As a loyal subject Ruben would play his part and look forward to the fireworks. Lelouch was a child yet, and the real action was still years away. It was heartening to see that Lelouch was planning ahead. Lelouch’s Guard took their young lord’s safety very seriously if that Jeremiah was anything to go by. Lelouch and Nunnally would be fine, for now.

/…/

Ruben and Milly waved as the car carrying the two royal children pulled away. Lelouch and Nunnally waved back before rolling up the windows and putting bulletproof glass between them and the road.

Satisfied with the day’s work, Lelouch leaned back in his seat. Phase one was complete. Phase two would begin when Charles skipped Marianne’s funeral. Lelouch would stage a private confrontation this time, and from there convince Charles that Lelouch and Nunnally needed to be sent far away from Pendragon.

All the conditions had been cleared. Not it was a waiting game.

Your move, Charles.

=/=

**(Madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time. Lelouch is rather terrifyingly sane, especially when compared to the rest of his relatives. At least he understands himself enough to take the appropriate steps to counter his weaknesses.)**

It had taken significantly longer to arrange a private meeting with Charles zi Britannia than simply crashing the public petitions, but the effort had been worth it. There had been a small temptation to use Geass on the Emperor, a leftover impulse from his previous try at this life, but Lelouch had suppressed it. A meeting arranged through official channels was a meeting that was _guaranteed_ to be spied upon. If Lelouch had a real enemy in Pendragon it was V.V. and his uncle’s mad obsession with keeping Charles’ attention.

Lelouch understood devotion to one’s sibling to the exclusion of all other, but that just meant that Lelouch _knew_ how dangerous V.V. was. Just like how Cornelia destroyed dangers to Euphemia, to the point of locking her little sister away from the world. Just like Lelouch had stood as the enemy of the entire world to raise Nunnally into an unassailable position of absolute authority.

There was no such thing as ‘ _too far_ ’ when it can to a Britannian Royal’s love for another.

So Lelouch kept his Geass tucked away and strictly under control. Lelouch glared and sniped and accused his father for his _blatant_ show of apathy regarding the death of Empress Consort Marianne vi Britannia. When Charles made a show of losing his temper, Lelouch made sure to flinch. Lelouch dropped his eyes, let his hands shake. Back and forth and careful, careful not to tip his hand.

Lelouch left his father’s study flushed and shaking in adrenaline response, sweat sticking the fine cloth of his shirt to his back. As he made his way down the hall Lelouch had to keep his face lowered, certain that the triumph he was experiencing showed in his eyes.

It had worked. Lelouch and Nunnally retained their place in the succession, but they were still being sent to Japan. How much of Charles’ orders were a result of Lelouch manipulating the conversation, and how much was Marianne’s ghost demanding that her children be removed from V.V.’s immediate reach was up to debate.

Lelouch felt no shame in taking advantage of his enemy’s misconception to forward his own plans. Aside from the Ashford Foundation and the Aries Guards, Lelouch was starting from scratch and would take whatever openings were offered to him. Even if it stung at his pride to have an opponent trying to ‘help’ him.

“My Prince?” Jeremiah fell in behind Lelouch as he left the Royal Wing. As Jeremiah had not been _officially_ recognized as Lelouch’s Knight of Honour, the Margrave had been forced to remain outside during the meeting between father and son.

“There’s been a change of plans, my Knight.” Lelouch grimaced and shook his head. There were so many options open to him now, but which path would be the best to take… it depended on how much things had changed even now, and how they would _continue_ to change in the future as Lelouch’s plans moved forward. “Let’s go home. I need to speak with Nunnally.”

“Of course, my Prince.” A sharp signal from Jeremiah, and the six man team chosen to accompany Lelouch to the Palace stepped smartly into position around their Prince.

They passed Cornelia on the way out, and my. Lelouch’s elder sister looked like she would appreciate the chance the skin Jeremiah alive. Cornelia had been reassigned to a different command after the assassination, and Jeremiah had been promoted as her replacement under Lelouch’s direction. The future Goddess of Victory did _not_ appreciate being shown up by a lesser noble. The new command had come with a promotion Cornelia was long overdue for, and had far greater opportunities for the advancement of her career. Still, Cornelia did not deal with any sort of failure gracefully. She resented that Jeremiah had been right there at Lelouch and Nunnally’s sides while Cornelia herself was far from Aries Villa.

Lelouch wanted to scoff. Cornelia’s position as Marianne’s student was the _only_ reason a Royal Princess was allowed to languish as a security guard. Without Empress Marianne there to mentor her, social and political pressure moved Cornelia to a position and career path far more _appropriate_ to her station in life.

Putting Cornelia from his mind, Lelouch got into the car. It was more important that he consider how he was going to present their marching orders to Nunnally.

… This would require some careful thought.

/…/

“We’re being sent to Japan?” Nunnally peered up at her brother with wide eyes. “Isn’t that where you said Milly’s family should go when things calm down?”

“Yes. Father’s very interested in the properties of Sakuradite, and Japan has the largest deposits in the world. It makes sense for them to be concerned about Britannian aggression. Which is why father is sending us there.” Lelouch looked up from the papers he was examining and smiled grimly at his little sister. “We’re insurance against an invasion in the eyes of the Japanese. Or maybe collateral, in the eyes of father. It all depends on how the negotiations for mining rights go.”

Nunnally’s eyes went even wider as she gripped his arm, and Lelouch wondered how much the previous Nunnally had understood about the situation when they were sent away. Had Nunnally hidden her concerns from him back then, even as Lelouch worked to keep his little sister completely sheltered from harm and sadness? Last time Lelouch had never spoken of their true status as political hostages aloud. This time, Lelouch could not afford to coddle his little sister. Nunnally was hale, and whole, and smart enough to notice him shading the truth to make it sweeter with lies.

Still, Lelouch would need to be careful not to go too far in the other direction. Children of the Britannian Royal Family had an inborn tendency to commit to their choices and philosophies in an all or nothing manner. Nunnally’s devotion to Lelouch was equally as strong as Lelouch’s devotion to Nunnally. They shared the same blood, after all. Lelouch had once died a willing sacrifice for the sake of his sister’s happiness. The last thing Lelouch wanted was to scare Nunnally into thinking drastic extremes were her only options.

How much of Nunnally’s decision to turn against him was caused by the way Lelouch had lied to her about his actions as Zero? How much had been Schneizel presenting the truth to Nunnally in the most horrible light possible? Lelouch did not dare contemplate what an unrestrained, fully mobile Nunnally would resort to if she discovered Lelouch had lied to her. Protecting her was no excuse when ignorance made her vulnerable to attacks by their enemies. Lelouch could not allow Nunnally to be turned against him again, and so she needed to be included and complicit in his plans.

“You expect it to end in war, don’t you, big brother?” Nunnally was frowning now, grave and worried as she stood by his side. Lelouch sighed, a grimace of resignation there and gone on his face. Nunnally set her jaw in determination that echoed the fierceness that had characterized Marianne the Flash. “We’ll be alright, big brother. I know it! Because we’re going together.”

“Ah, you’re right of course, little sister.” Lelouch chuckled, leaning down to press a thankful kiss to Nunnally’s forehead. “Together we can overcome anything. Even father and his wars.”

Especially once Lelouch coaxed Suzaku to his side once again. His left hand was so often cold without his White Reaper to fill the empty space at his shoulder. Jeremiah had his place as Lelouch’s right hand, his Knight of Honour, his sworn shield. Suzaku was meant to be Lelouch’s sword, the doom of his enemies, and this time _nothing_ was going to interfere with Suzaku’s loyalty. Not even Suzaku himself.

The next stage of the game was beginning in earnest, and there were still conditions to be cleared. Ready?

Start.

=/=

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. That was a thing or two that just happened. Lelouch didn't escape the Requiem without emotional scars. I mean, yeah. He's surprisingly sane for someone who actively planned his own assassination, but his trust issues have trust issues. I think the only one Lelouch isn't _actively_ planning to manipulate into utter devotion is Jeremiah, and that's because Orange already came that way. O.o;
> 
> Next up, Japan! (And possibly some Jeremiah PoV because he's being very talkative right now. ^_^)

**Author's Note:**

> Post Zero Requiem Lelouch has no shame. No shame at all. Because as far as he's aware he has lived through the worst it can get. His loved ones died and _he_ died and now that everyone's alive again Lelouch gets right back to scheming like it's his _job_.
> 
> To be fair, I suppose scheming _is_ Lelouch's job. And he's _really bloody good at it_. At least this time he scheming in pursuit of a happy ending? I mean, he still wants to hang and quarter his enemies but at least he's maintaining his positive personal connections this time?
> 
> ... Don't judge me.


End file.
